Max Payne Movie Not Doing So Well

[Andy Chalk]

Max Payne Movie Not Doing So Well

Bad news for fans hoping to finally see a videogame movie that doesn't suck: Max Payne [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0467197/] apparently does.

Critics have savaged the film, missing no opportunity to turn its name into increasingly tiresome plays on the movie-going experience. Max Payne has thus far earned a Seattle Post-Intelligencer [http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/maxpayne?q=max%20payne], which called it "A dumb film with a great conceptual hook from a director who visualizes better than he dramatizes," but from there things get ugly.

"Stylishly made, armed to the teeth and ludicrous in the extreme." - Variety [http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117938722.html?categoryid=31&cs=1]

"A grindingly inert death-wish thriller." - Entertainment Weekly [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20233868,00.html]

"This stylish-looking but derivative, vacuous and bullet-riddled movie inflicts maximum pain." - USA Today [http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2008-10-16-max-payne_N.htm]

"Miserable, in every sense of the word." - Los Angeles Times [http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/reviews/la-et-max17-2008oct17,0,2583653.story]

It goes on from there. And while it's sometimes easy to dismiss movie critics as out of touch with audiences, user voting hasn't been much better. 18 user votes have added up to a score of 6.3, but based on the comments it's not too much of a leap to assume that fanboy voting is carrying the day. Of the five commented votes, there have been scores of 2, 3, 5 and two 10s.

Which isn't to suggest that you should throw up your hands in despair and pray for Ain't It Cool News [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473075/] said, "The damn thing's 85 minutes and you swear you've been in there for about two and a half hours by the time it's over." That's sort of good... right?

Max Payne [http://www.aintitcool.com/node/38725] hits theaters today, and if you actually do want to see it, I suggest you move quickly.


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[Boober the Pig]

There is no Devil or demons in the game. This is a reverse Doom, putting things in that don't belong and ruining the idea of a revenge fueled decent in to madness. Calling it Max Payne doesn't make it Max Payne.

 

[Lt. Sera]

Well, I kind of expected it to suck. I'll go see it regardless though, if it looks good, then why not?

 

[neoman10]

i knew it would do bad, it is inevitable for movie games

 

[Virgil]

This is me shocked.

Max Payne has thus far earned a Doom [http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/maxpayne?q=max%20payne].

This is sad and hilarious at the same time. There should be ads saying "[Max Payne] is Uwe Boll's best film yet!"

 

[Baby Tea]

Oh who didn't see this coming? Name one good video game based movie...

I'm waiting...

Yeah, that's what I thought. Turning an interactive game into a movie completely takes the wonderment of video games out of the experience. It would take a dynamite director, an even better writer (Or team of writers), and a good game choice to pull this off.

Max Payne, I'm so sorry they did this to you. At least your games are still great.

 

[Bakery]

BEWARE: Sort-of-mild spoilers. You should be alright though.

It was okay. I'll say that. I haven't played the game before though so i have no idea how close or different it is. The angel/demony guys aren't actually 'real' in the movie and I thought that was pretty cool. There was good action but not too much (well, you can never have too much action but you know what I mean) but the acting was a bit shabby in a few places and there were a few corny 'dead wife and family' scenes that seemed as though they'd been copied from some other movie.

I think the main reason to go see this movie is because it's on the big screen, I imagine it would be kind of lame seeing it at home. Overall, I'd give it an 'Eh' ,which just so happens to be one level better than 'Meh'.

 

[AuntyEthel]

I don't get why people are saying that they expected it to be shit, but are still planning on seeing it. If its shit, then don't support it, and let the producers know that they are assholes.

 

[tendo82]

The New York Times gave it a decent review. The review was at least as good, and probably better, than the one they gave Rock N Rolla.

Although it's possible Rock N Rolla is an altogether worse movie. Anyway, I think it'll find a comfortable home in my Netflix Queue in 4 months when it comes out on DVD.

 

[Sir_Montague]

It better be worth it... I'm a broke college student who's best friend is forcing him to go see the movie tonight instead of going to a party... Argh

 

[Andy Chalk]

I still want to see it. I was hoping, probably unreasonably, that it would resonate with mainstream audiences and be the big breakthrough videogame movie we've all been waiting for, but I can't say I'm surprised it's taking such an ass-kicking. Bear in mind that there was considerable debate over the original Max Payne game itself, which in many people's eyes couldn't decide whether it was parody or just hopelessly overwrought. Max Payne 2 blurred the lines even further by introducing more effective pathos to the story while at the same time poking fun at itself with the addition of external elements like Dick Justice. It's almost inevitable that something would be lost in the translation to the big screen.

 

[sirdanrhodes]

Why am I not surprised. Mark wouldn't even play the games!

 

[Cousin_IT]

The New York Times gave it a decent review. The review was at least as good, and probably better, than the one they gave Rock N Rolla.

Although it's possible Rock N Rolla is an altogether worse movie. Anyway, I think it'll find a comfortable home in my Netflix Queue in 4 months when it comes out on DVD.

Rock'n'Rolla was a good film; Not guy Ritchies best but a good film none the less (though only if u like that style of london gangster film)

 

[tendo82]

Rock'n'Rolla was a good film; Not guy Ritchies best but a good film none the less (though only if u like that style of london gangster film)

If it has anything that can compare to Vinny Jones and his desert eagle point five-o then you can bet I will be seeing it.

 

[Volucer]

I was wondering how this would do. There's very few movies from games that are actually good, I was so hoping this would be one of them.

 

[bluerahjah]

I'm still going to go see it, in all honesty, a video game movie really is solely made for the people that enjoy the source material (usually), with very many exceptions. This is one of those movies that it may take a real fan to enjoy, for instance, I liked Hitman, everyone else I know, hated it. The difference : I am a fan of the games, everyone else sucks.